Presbyopia Specialist

Antelope Valley Optometric Center

Optometrists located in Lancaster, CA

As you age, the intraocular lens in your eye begins to stiffen, which affects its ability to focus light on your retina, causing a condition known as presbyopia. The expert optometry team at Antelope Valley Optometric Center in Lancaster, California diagnoses presbyopia during routine exams and provides expert, customized treatments to correct your vision. If you’re concerned about your visual acuity, call Antelope Valley Optometric Center or schedule an appointment online.

Presbyopia Q & A

What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia is an age-related condition that affects your ability to see close-up. It affects almost all adults, starting around the age of 40 and worsening until your mid- 60s.

Presbyopia develops as your intraocular lens, which is located directly behind your pupil and iris, becomes stiff and doesn’t adapt well to the different amounts of light that enter your eye as quickly. As a result, it isn’t able to focus light onto your retina as precisely, which leads to blurry vision.

Presbyopia affects almost everyone, even if you’ve never had vision problems before. If you’re nearsighted, you can still develop presbyopia and will notice your close up vision blurring, too. Your risk increases as you get older or if you’re farsighted. Conditions such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis also increase your risk.

What are signs of presbyopia?

Presbyopia develops gradually, and you may not notice the signs at first. However, you may catch yourself holding your phone or book further away from your face to read. You may also start to have headaches or eye strain after using a computer or doing other close-up work.

How is presbyopia diagnosed?

In most cases, your optometrist diagnoses presbyopia during a routine eye exam. Your doctor uses the refraction test to identify any visual acuity problems and can identify the specific issue that’s disrupting your vision, whether it’s presbyopia or nearsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia). Even if your vision has always been perfect, you should have eye exams every two years from the age of 40.

How is presbyopia treated?

The team of expert optometrists offers customized treatments for presbyopia, depending on how severely your vision is distorted and if you have other vision problems. For example, you may benefit from wearing a pair of over-the-counter reading glasses for close up work. They’re available in several different strengths, and your doctor can recommend what should work best for you.

However, if you already wear corrective lenses, you may need to get bifocal lenses for your glasses or multifocal contact lenses. Bifocals and multifocals combine prescriptions in a single lens to allow you to see both far away and close up.

Call Antelope Valley Optometric Center or make an appointment online today to have your vision and eye health tested.